EMS World

NOV 2017

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s p o t l i g h t o n S A F E T Y 44 NOVEMBER 2017 | EMSWORLD.com to say, "Sterile crew, please." With the next lapse, "Sterile crew." It doesn't matter if you're the person in charge. In fact, once I had a third pilot mention something not related to our duties during climb-out ("Hey, you guys want anything to eat from the back?"), and both the first officer and I turned around and said in uni- son, "Sterile cockpit!" Two of us laughed, and the other pilot later apologized. It was a bit of a smackdown. Wheels Rolling When are you a sterile crew? For airlines it's pretty easy: In the air, when below 10,000 feet. When on the ground, if a tire is rolling. (c) For the purposes of this section, critical phases of flight include all ground operations involving taxi, takeoff and landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet, except cruise flight. This can't just be cut and pasted for prehos- pital use, but neither is it that hard to adapt. Say the tones drop for a call as you're driving. Let the other EMT or firefighter answer the radio and text message. How about when you're arriving at the hospital and the driver is backing up? Wait until you're stopped to give the dispatcher your time and mileage. When you're backing up, don't multitask. We've all heard how hospitals will throw themselves at the backs of ambu- lances when drivers are a tiny bit distracted. I was amazed the first time I saw that. I have also had curbs relocate under my tire as if by magic. Say you're leaving a scene with a family member in the front right seat; the EMT is driv- ing, and the paramedic is attending the patient. How do you enforce the sterile crew concept there? Sterile crew applies no matter who else is in the vehicle! You brief the passenger to wear their seat belt, of course, then just add, "On the way to the hospital, my job is to deliver you folks safely, so I will not be able to chat. I know you may have questions, and we'll try to get them answered when we're not moving." Technology Troubles Wireless communication can get out of control. Here's the short version of the aviation stan- dard: If it isn't directly related to safe opera- tions, you can't use it. The individual in charge also has the responsibility to stop any activity unrelated to safety. (d) During all flight time as defined in 14 CFR 1.1, no flight crewmember may use, nor may any pilot in command permit the use of, a personal wireless communications device (as defined in 49 U.S.C. 44732(d)) or laptop computer while at a flight crewmember duty station unless the pur- pose is directly related to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency, safety-related or employment- related communications, in accordance with air carrier procedures approved by the Administrator. The fronts of ambulances and fire trucks are awash with computer screens, text displays, radios and at least one GPS. Personal comput- ers and tablets get closed the moment sterile crew goes into effect. No phone calls to/from friends while en route to a call. If a tire is rolling, everyone focuses on the task. Say while you're traveling your dispatcher sends a text message advising that after your call, you are to go to your base for some vehicle maintenance. Here dispatch is in violation of multiple aspects of sterile crew! They know you're on a call and contacted you with a non- safety-related message. If this was by radio, I'd suggest you simply reply, "Sterile crew." If it was a text, don't even answer. Either way,

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